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Introducing school students to a career in vehicle collision repair and refinishing.

Axalta Coating Systems has announced the company recently partnered with Training Services NSW to introduce school students to the collision repair industry and provide hands-on experience with vehicle painting. The event was held at Axalta’s regional training facility in Marsden Park, Sydney. Under the banner of “Try-a-Trade”, 15 high school students from southwest Sydney enjoyed a full-day introduction to vehicle refinishing from the training team at Axalta. The day included vehicle painting demonstrations, practice using a virtual reality (VR) paint simulator and a brief overview of automotive courses from a TAFE NSW representative. Due to the success of the day, a second day was scheduled. Ten students were invited back for more hands-on experience. After a short safety induction, students were shown how to sand and prepare panels, take spectrophotometer paint colour readings and mix colours before spray painting panels. Local body shop owner John Karavasilias from Marrickville Prestige Smash Repairs (MPSR) was also on hand to provide insight into running a body shop.

“The students benefited immensely from this practical experience,” said Rhonda Stone, senior project officer at Regional Industry Education Partnerships for South-West Sydney. “They were able to ask lots of questions on career opportunities, as well as seeing first-hand what vehicle painting actually entails.” By opening doors for these students, Axalta enables them to experience what a career in automotive repair might look like, all while demonstrating some of the latest products and equipment. For many students, this training comes at a crucial time in the decision-making stage in their education and future career paths. With the high school landscape changing considerably, apprenticeships are now available during the final school years. Axalta looks forward to welcoming more students soon for training opportunities and mentoring in an industry that continues to become more technical and advanced.

If you are a repairer based in South-Western Sydney who is interested in offering a student some work experience or a possible traineeship, please contact Axalta training manager Paul Polverino on M: 0412 485 390, Tel: 1800 292 592 or email: info-ANZ@axalta.com. Paul can then connect you with Training Services NSW (South-West Sydney).